Taj Mahal And Keb’ Mo’ Lead 2018 Blues Music Awards

The night’s big winners were two blues giants Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ who won Album of the year for their collaborative album Tajmo.

Published on

May 11, 2018

uDiscover Team

The Blues are alive and well, thanks to the 135 nominees who gathered in Memphis Thursday night to recognize the best of the genre at the 39th annual Blues Music Awards.

Playing emcee for the night, was Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and E Street Band sideman Little Steven Van Zandt, who shared presenting duties with Blues, R&B, soul and roots music talent Tony Joe White, Joe Louis Walker, Candi Staton, Janiva Magness, David Porter and Ruthie Foster.

Out of the 26 categories, the night’s big winners were two blues giants Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ who won Album of the year for their 2017 collaborative album Tajmo. Already a Blues Hall of Famer, Mahal also took home the title of best Acoustic Artist as well as the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year Award, while Keb’ Mo’ also received the Contemporary Blues Artist trophy in addition to the night’s biggest honour.

The night’s proceedings were also a hometown affair. Presented by the Memphis-based Blues Foundation, there was plenty of local talent in the winners’ pool of the Blues Music Awards including Stax Records-signed act Southern Avenue, who won the Best Emerging Artist Album, Robert Cray and Hi Rhythm won Soul Blues Album for their collaborative self-titled project and another Stax alum Mavis Staples, won the award for Soul Blues Artist for the second year in a row.

The biggest night in Blues was not without some stellar live performances including Wee Willie Walker (who initially recorded with Goldwax Records in the 60s), Sugarray Rayford, singer Trudy Lynn and R&B, jazz and soul blues singer Vaneese Thomas. But one of the true highlights of the night was the final performance, where Van Zandt took to the stage and was joined by guitarist Mike Zito, who won Best Blues Rock Artist earlier in the evening for an electric number.

See the full list of the 2018 Blues Music Awards winners below.

Acoustic Album: Break the Chain – Doug MacLeod

Acoustic Artist: Taj Mahal

Album: TajMo – Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’

BB King Entertainer: Taj Mahal

Band: Rick Estrin & the Nightcats

Best Emerging Artist Album: Southern Avenue – Southern Avenue

Contemporary Blues Album: TajMo – Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’

Contemporary Blues Female Artist: Samantha Fish

Contemporary Blues Male Artist: Keb’ Mo’

Historical: A Legend Never Dies, Essential Recordings 1976-1997 – Luther Allison (Ruf Recordings)

Instrumentalist-Vocalist: Beth Hart